Strong Pacific storms late in the season brought damaging winds, rain and snow to saturated California and are believed to have caused two fatalities.
SANTA CRUZ, Calif. – Strong late-season Pacific storms brought noxious winds and more rain and snow to saturated California, causing two deaths, weather forecasters said Wednesday. , said additional flooding could occur in parts of the state.
Tuesday’s storm concentrated most of its energy in the central and southern parts of the state, threatening heavy runoff and mountain snowfall.
The National Weather Service warned that localized heavy rains and melting snow could cause flooding in southern California and central Arizona on Wednesday. On Tuesday, some residents of north-central Arizona were told to prepare to evacuate as water levels in rivers and watersheds rose.
Trees and power lines were reported to have collapsed in the San Francisco Bay Area. An Amtrak commuter train carrying 55 passengers crashed into a fallen tree and derailed near the village of Porta He Bay on the Costa’s East. Amtrak and fire officials said the train remained upright and there were no injuries.
In the Bay Area community of Portola Valley, a man driving a sewage truck died when a tree fell on his vehicle, the California Highway Patrol said. In the community of Rossmoor, a driver was injured and a passenger died after a large tree fell on top of a vehicle, according to the Contra Costa County Fire Protection District.
In the Monterey Bay area, a severe storm above the ocean blew Santa Cruz County at noon with gusts of up to 80 miles per hour (129 kilometers per hour). Along the coastline of the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary, sea foam crept across the roadway like a giant snowflake.
The gust reached 76 miles per hour (122 kilometers per hour) in the mountainous region of Santa Cruz, including Boulder Creek.
Resident Frank Cool waited for hours Tuesday afternoon at a downtown supermarket for workers to remove a large sequoia that was blocking a highway. “Trees are falling everywhere,” said Kuhr. “Incredible wind. Branches were flying in the air and I could hear trees falling and cracking.”
“This is amazing,” said Kuhr.
About 133,000 customers across the state lost power early Wednesday morning, according to PowerOutage.us.
The National Weather Service said Tuesday’s storm, which hit the first full day of spring following the state’s unusual winter, is the Pacific Storm System interacting with California’s 12th atmospheric river since late December. rice field.
California’s unexpected wet weather siege after years of drought also included a February blizzard caused by Arctic air.
Storms have caused flooding, snow piled up on the mountains, crushing roofs, and crew members struggling to save highways from avalanches.
Mammoth Mountain Resort in the eastern Sierra Nevada has announced it will remain open for skiing and snowboarding through at least the end of July.
Season-to-date snowfall at the Main Lodge was 634 inches (16.1 meters), just one storm away from breaking the all-time record of 668 inches (16.9 meters) set for the 2010-2011 season .
